Since a 3GPP Release 7 standard system is established, the policy and charging function is realized by a PCC framework. The PCC framework is a function framework which can be applied to multiple access technologies, for example, the PCC framework can be applied to a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), a Global system for Mobile Communication (GSM)/Enhanced Data Rate For GSM Evolution (EDGE) radio access network, an Intelligent Wireless Local Area Network (I-WLAN) and an Evolved Packet System (EPS), etc.
The PCC mainly realizes two functions, that is, a policy control function and a charging function. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a PCC structure according to Release8; as shown in FIG. 1, each logical function entity and the interface function in the PCC framework are as follows:
an Application Function (AF) entity provides an access point for service applications, wherein network resources used by the service applications need dynamical policy control. When a parameter negotiation is performed on a service plane, the AF entity provisions relevant service information to a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF) entity; if the service information is consistent with a policy of the PCRF entity, then the PCRF entity accepts the negotiation; otherwise, the PCRF entity refuses the negotiation and gives service parameters acceptable by the PCRF entity at the time of sending feedback. Subsequently, the AF entity can feed back the parameters to user equipment (UE), wherein an interface between the AF entity and the PCRF entity is an Rx interface.
The PCRF entity is the core of the PCC and is responsible for making a policy decision and charging rules. The PCRF entity provides network control rules based on a service data flow, wherein the network control comprises detection, gating control, Quality of Service (QoS) control of a service data flow and data flow based charging rules. The PCRF entity sends the policy and charging rules made by itself to a Policy and Control Enforcement Function (PCEF) entity for execution, besides, the PCRF entity is required to guarantee the consistency between the rules and user subscription information. The basis for the PCRF entity to make policy and charging rules comprises: service-related information received from the AF entity, user PCC-related subscription information obtained from a Subscription Profile Repository (SPR) and bearer-related network information obtained from the PCEF entity.
The PCEF entity is usually located in a Gate-Way (GW) and is adapted to execute, on a bearer plane, the policy and charging rules made by the PCRF entity. The PCEF entity detects service data flows according to a service data flow filter in the rules sent by the PCRF entity, and further executes the policy and charging rules made by the PCRF entity for the service data flows. When a bearer is established, the PCEF entity carries out a QoS authorization according to the rules sent by the PCRF entity and performs gating control according to the information provided by the AF entity. According to the charging rules sent by the PCRF entity, the PCEF entity executes a corresponding service data flow charging operation, wherein the charging can be online charging or offline charging. If it is the online charging, the PCEF entity needs to perform credit management together with an Online Charging System (OCS); if it is the offline charging, the PCEF entity exchanges relevant charging information with an Offline Charging System (OFCS). An interface between the PCEF entity and the PCRF entity is a Gx interface, an interface between the PCEF entity and the OCS is a Gy interface, and an interface between the PCEF entity and the OFCS is a Gz interface. The PCEF entity is usually located at a network gateway, such as a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) in a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology and a Packet Data Gateway (PDG) in an I-WLAN.
The function of a Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function (BBERF) entity comprises bearer binding, validation of uplink bearer binding, and event reporting. When access of UE is carried out through an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) and a Proxy Mobile IPv6 protocol is applied between a Serving Gateway (S-GW) and a Packet Data Network-Gateway (P-GW), the BBERF entity is located at the S-GW of the EPS; when the UE accesses the EPS through an untrusted non-3GPP access network, the BBERF entity is located at an Evolved Packet Data Gateway (ePDG); when the UE accesses the EPS through a trusted non-3GPP access network, the BBERF entity is located at an access gateway of a non-3GPP access network. When a BBERF entity exists, the PCRF entity needs to provision policy control information (such as QoS rules, event triggers, etc.) to the BBERF entity while provisioning policy and charging control information (such as PCC rules, event triggers, etc.) to the PCEF entity, and at the same time carries out policy and charging control on an IP Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session established by the UE through the PCEF entity and the BBERF entity.
The SPR stores the user PCC subscription information related to policy control and charging; an interface between the SPR and the PCRF entity is an Sp interface.
The OCS, together with the PCEF entity, performs user credit control and management when the online charging is used.
The OFCS, together with the PCEF entity, accomplishes charging operation when the offline charging is used.
In the prior art, while provisioning the PCC rules, the PCRF entity also provisions time information for indicating when the PCEF entity shall set the PCC rules to an activation state (that is, activating the PCC rules, initiating a resource preservation process to allocate resources for the PCC rules) and time information for indicating when the PCEF entity shall set the PCC rules to an inactivation state (that is, stopping activating the PCC rules, initiating a resource release process to release corresponding resources of the PCC rules), and also can provision time information for indicating when the PCEF entity shall request the PCRF entity again for new PCC rules. By using the mechanism above, the PCC can support user charging control based on different time periods within one day, for example, in the middle night or at dawn, the PCEF entity activates PCC rules which have a lower fee rate (that is, allocating resources for the PCC rules) according to the indication in the PCC rules provisioned by the PCRF entity to perform PCC on a user, while in the daytime, the PCEF entity sets the PCC rules to an inactivation state (that is, releasing resources of the PCC rules), and sets PCC rules which have a higher fee rate to an activation state (that is, allocating resources for the PCC rules).
However, in the prior art, the PCRF entity provisions the time indication of activation and/or deactivation of PCC rules only when provisioning the PCC rules; if a BBERF entity exists, the PCRF entity does not provision any time indication while provisioning QoS rules. When the PCC rules provisioned to the PCEF entity by the PCRF entity are not activated, the QoS rules corresponding to the PCC rules provisioned by the PCRF entity to the BBERF entity have been activated (because no time indication is provisioned while the QoS rules are provisioned, the BBERF entity activates the QoS is rules immediately after obtaining the QoS rules). Thus, the activation time of the PCC rules in the network systems is not consistent, even a mistake is caused; besides, resources are wasted.